Stage apparatus



0.1. TRITSCHLER.

STAGE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 18. I919.

1,332,;985. I Patented Feb. 24,1920. SE1 P4 E.

12 W" 1 I L41 Lil ' M/VENTUR 'C nmd Josep Trfisch ler nrormsr UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

coNRAn JOSEPH TBITSCHLER, or ANERLEY, LoNnoN, ENGLAND.

STAGE APPARATUS.

To (all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, CONRAD JOSEPH TRIT- sonnnn, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Anerley, London, S. E., England, have invented a new and Improved Stage Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptron.

The object of the invention is to provlde a new and improved stage apparatus, more especially designed for vividly producing the effect of an aeroplane, dirigible or other air craft traveling in the night, appearing to be set on fire interior-1y, with the flames eventually burning out and the air craft dropping down to earth. Another ob]ect is to provide an exceedingly simple and inexpensive means for accomplishing the desired result.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views. I

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a stage provided with the improved stage apparatus; I

Fig. 2 is a cross sectionof the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged face view of the representation of an aerial vessel; and

Fig. 4 is a cross section of the same on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Across the stage 10 is stretched a screen 11, preferably of diaphanous material such as a transparent or translucent cloth, and on the rear face of this screen is fitted one open side of a hollow body of box-like structure representing in outline an aeroplane, a dirigible or other similar air craft 12. On the top of this hollow body 12 is arranged a box-like compartment 13 open at the front side and appearing in outline like tongues of flame, as will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 3. The body 12 is preferably suspended by wires or other supporting means 14 from the files and adapted to be moved along by the wires 14 to give the body 12 the appearance of traveling across the stage. Within the body 12 and near the bottom thereof is arranged a row of low voltage (4 volts) pea lights 20 connected by wires withan accumulator, to be Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

Application filed October 18, 1919. Serial No. 331,693..

operated from, the same by their own dimmers. By the arrangement described, the lights 20 when switched on illuminate the interior of the body 12 with a white light. Within the body 12 are arranged stron power red colored filament lamps 25, pre erably two in number, and connected by wires 26 with a switch 27 under the control of the operator in charge of the stage apparatus. Within the extension compartment 13 is arranged a series of mixed red and amber fire 1 colored filament, lamps 30 connected by Wires 31 with a switch 32 under the control of the operator in charge of the stage apparatus. By the arrangement described, the body 12 can be interiorly illuminated by the lamps 20 with a white light so that the aerial vessel appears onthe darkened stage visible in the sky. The operator next switches on the 'lamps 25 thus illuminating the body 12 interiorly with a red light thereby producing the effect of the aerial vessel being on fire. The operator next switches on the series of lamps 30 thus producing the effect of flames bursting from the vessel. After the lights 30 are lighted, the operator by manipulating the wires 14- can let the vessel drop endw'ise downward thus producing the final effect of destruction of the aerial vessel and its dropping to the ground.

In order to heighten the effect, use is pref- I erably made of a minlature search light 40 preferably of the construction more fully shown and described in a companion application Serial Number 331,692 filed by me on October 18, 1919. This search light 40 is preferably mounted in front of the screen 11 above the stage floor and it serves to direct a beam of light against the under side of the body 12,*thebeam also appearing on the screen 11. In practice, the search light 40 is mounted by pivots 41 on a support 42, which may be a piece of sceneryset on the'stage floor or representation of a ship or other similar moving part mounted to travel'across the stage in front ofthe screen. By rocking the search light 40 on its pivot 41, the effect of a search light searching the sky is produced.

It is understood that the open side of the body 12 and its compartment 13 fit snugly against the rear face of the screen 11, and hence the rays of light from not illuminate the entire surface of the screen and thus spoil the illusion, but only illuminates the portion of the screen covered by the lamps do V ters Patent:

12 and its compartment 13 thus vividly disclosing the outline of the body when the lamps 20 and 30 are lighted, and disclosing the flame portion when the latter is illuminated by the lamps 30.

It Will be noticed that the diaphanous screen difi'uses light from the lamps sufficiently to render the lamps invisible to the audience. 7 Y J Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letthe body 1. A stage apparatus, comprising a diaphanous screen, a body representing an object fitting against the screen, and illuminating means arranged within the body and of different colors to successively illuminate the body interiorly with a view to first display the object in a natural condition and then as set on fire.

2. A stage apparatus, comprlsing a di-' aphanous screen, a body representing an object having an open side fitting against the said screen, and illuminating means of different colors, arranged within the said body to illuminate the latter interiorly and successively, play the body then with a red light to display set .on-fire interiorly. V

3. A stage apparatus, comprising a diaphanous screen, a body representing an object having an open front face fitting against the screen, the body having an extension compartment representing flames in outline, two sets of illuminating means arranged within the said body and of different colors, an illuminating means in the said extension compartment, and controlling means under the control of an operator for successively switching on the said illuminating means to display the object first in a natural condition, then as set on fire interiorly, and finally as appearing with flames bursting out from the body. V

4. A'stage apparatus, comprising a diaphanous screen, a body representing an object fitting againstthe screen, means for in a natural condition and the body as moving the said body along the said screen;

and illuminating means arranged within the body and of differentcolors to succes v sively illuminate view to first display the object in a natural the body interiorly with a condition and then as set on fire.

5. In a. stage illusion, ahollowbody open first with a white light to disat one side and representing in outline an aerial vessel, a compartment extending from the said body and likewise open at the side, two sets of difierently colored electric illuminating means in the said body, and an electric illuminating means in the said compartment.

6. In a stage illusion a hollow body open at one side and representing in outline an aerial vessel, a compartment extending from the said body and likewise open at the side, two sets of differently colored electric illuminating means in the said body, and an electric illuminating means'in the-said compartment and provided with diflerently colored bulbs arranged alternately.

7. A stage apparatus, comprising a diaphanous screen on a stage, a hollow body open at one side and fitting against the rear face ofthe said screen, means illuminating the interior of the said body, and a miniature search light in front of the said screen adjacent the floor of the stage and adapted to direct a beam of light upward onto the said screen and onto the lower portion of the said body. e

8. A stage apparatus, comprising a di aphanous screen on a stage, a hollow body open atone side and fitting against the rear face of the said screen, means illuminating the interior of the said body, a miniature search light in front of'the said screen adjascreen and onto the lower portion of: the said body, means for imparting motion to the said body, and means'for rocking the said search light from the said beam of light to follow the traveling body.

9. A stage apparatus, comprising a diaphanous screen on a stage, a hollow body open at one side and fitting against the rear face of the said screen, means illuminating the interior of the said body, a miniature search light in front of the said screen adjacent the floor of the stage and adapted to direct a beam of light upward onto the said screen and onto the lower portion of the said body, means for imparting motion to the said body, light for the said beam of light to follow the traveling body, and traveling means carrying the said search light across the stage.

CONRAD JOSEPH TRITSOHLER.

means for rocking the said search lbs 

